aliens infestation

RELEASE: 10/2011 | PUB: Sega | DEVELOPERS: WayForward & Gearbox | ESRB: T

It’s been a while since I picked up a Nintendo DS game or even the DS handheld system at all. However, Aliens Infestation was a must buy for me for two reasons: (1) it has a cover and in-game artwork was done by Chris Bachalo and (2) it’s Aliens. This little cartridge houses a 2D side-scrolling adventure game, in the vein of NES classics like Metroid, Castlevania and Bionic Commando. Play as a motley platoon of futuristic colonial marines in this all new chapter in the Aliens saga. Hit the jump to read my thoughts on the game, Aoo Rah.

mass effect 2

Traveling across galaxies trying to recruit a band of heroes for a “suicide mission” can be tough work. Commander Shepard, a trained human soldier, is on a mission to save the universe from the threats facing civilization. In Mass Effect 2 the latest threat is from the alien race known as the Reapers. The Reapers, working in conjunction with the mysterious Collectors, are causing human colonies along the fringe frontiers to disappear. In order to face the Reapers, Shepard and crew with have to use the the Omega-4 Relay to reach the Reavers part of space. It’s a suicide mission for one man alone; you will have to make valuable allies along the way both human and alien. Shepard will save the day, that is, before he dies. Because you basically start this action-oriented, role playing game floating in space, dead.
 
WARNING: Slight spoilers on an older game ahead

resistance 2

PLATFORM: PS3


RELEASE DATE: 11/2008
DEVELOPER: Insomniac Games
PUBLISHER: Sony
ESRB RATING: M for Mature
Progress: Finished

The Chimera are back! Or, have they been here all along? Insomniac Games fuels the cannons of war once again with the sequel to our Gamedae Fav Resistance: Fall of Man. Four years has passed since we blew up a key Chimera tower and the story picks up from where the after-the-credits cut scene left off. Our hero, Nathan Hale, alien-hater and super-soldier, is captured by some black ops soldiers. Nathan awakes to find his wounds treated and he has been given an inhibitor injection to fend off the Chimeran virus. Hale is quickly drafted into the ranks and sent back into battle. It's time to join the front lines once again.

SPOILERS AHEAD (If you haven't played Resistance 1)

resistance: fall of man

PLATFORM: PS3
RELEASE DATE: 11/2006
DEVELOPER: Insomniac Games
PUBLISHER: Sony
ESRB RATING: M for Mature
Progress: Finished

I don't really want to over-use the term "Gamedae Favorite" but this is a recent addition to the alumni. It has been a long while since a first-person shooter (FPS) has held my attention as sharply as Resistance: Fall of Man has. I've passed up purchasing Resistance until now because it wasn't a co-op game but also because I didn't own a PS3 when it was first released in 2006. With all the hype surrounding the newly released Resistance 3, I got excited and picked up the Resistance (parts 1 & 2) PS Dual Pack. (Side note: Big fan of the dual pack idea--keep'em coming Sony). Seven days later I have trudged through the war-torn European landscape of Britain, defeated the ravenous Chimera, and damn, if it wasn't an awesome game.

alien breed: impact

PLATFORM: PS3
RELEASE DATE: 10/2010
DEVELOPER: Team17 Software
ESRB RATING: T

Progress: Level 3 with 13% of trophies

Sometimes games can be so gargantuan, so all encompassing, that they feel more like a bad lashing than something fun you can enjoy. You know what I mean: games with 70+ hour story lines, a minimum of three play-throughs in order to enjoy the full story and not to mention a big boss fight that has you so rattled you get fed up you put the game down for months before you are willing to try again. And then there is the constant reminder of that game on your shelf staring at you, taunting you...

If you find yourself in this predicament then let me remind you of the joy that can be had with lighter, arcade-style games, specifically Alien Breed: Impact. It features game elements like aliens and machine guns, that I like, but without the massively deep plot line and subsequent motion comics and source material you need to consume just to enjoy the experience. Don't misunderstand, this is not a groundbreaking game style, nor does it have a gripping story but it is a lively shoot-em-up that you can just jump in and play. The game also offers a on-line/offline co-op option for your buddies to join in.

dead space by b-real

PLATFORM: PS3
RELEASE DATE: 10/2008
DEVELOPER: EA
PUBLISHER: EA
ESRB RATING: M

Progress: 100%

Are you tired of having to shoot zombies in the head to take them out? Has firing 10 rounds into a Nazi’s chest become lackluster? Well then, Dead Space is the third person shooter for you! The name of the game is to amputate the limbs of the aliens, any way you can. Thus, Dead Space is all about precision. It’s not tedious precision; it’s more like really scary carnage, with a bit of surgery.